Sorry for the explicitly of my wording in the title. Well, I am not really sorry just to be honest. That is how God put it. And well, I like it. God doesn't mince his words. The Old Testament is full of God using images of a cheating spouse to describe the Israelites. It is an image God had been showing me through out my reading of the Pentateuch and then even more in a sermon at church a couple of months ago. It is apt. That is what they did. That is how they treated God. Stupid Israel. They were reminded constantly of God's love for them. He was right there. His presence was literally evident in a cloud. He was there with them. They still screwed up. Stupid, stupid Israel. Who would ever do that?
Hold up wait a minute. I would. And chances are you would too. Cheating isn't something that is unattractive or unappealing or so many people wouldn't do it. Let's be honest for a minute, people often have good, logical reasons for cheating on their spouses. They don't feel like their needs are being met, their husband ignores them, their wife is more concerned about her social calendar that her husband, the husband is a workaholic and neglects his role to his wife a a spiritual leader. Cheating makes sense sometimes. In our human brains, it is even considered the only choice. It is not. It is still wrong no matter how rational we make it.
But that is what we all do to God. We know what sin is and yet we get caught up in it anyway. Lust appeals to our eyes and we can't stop looking. Greed appeals to our ears and we want that cool new phone all our friends are talking about. Gossip averts our our attention from our own emotional baggage and we indulge ourselves into focusing on other people's faults. Look folks, sin is fun. Sin is desirable and in our perspective on the world it would make us happy. The problem is born again believers know the difference.
It is about relationship. It has always been about relationship. God adopted us as his children, bestowed his grace upon us, and made us holy. We are holy. But, in that we are responsible for our actions. The Israelites were. They new better and were punished. Forgiveness never negates consequences. God warned the Israelites and when they didn't heed that warning they got punished. I am kind of obsessed currently with a story in the book of Numbers (yes Numbers Dr. Gore is wearing off on me). It is in chapter 25. The Israelites (for the first of many times) start worshipping Baal. They get so bad two of them even start having sex in the tabernacle. Really? Really? Yes. That bad. God doesn't tolerate blatant disobedience like that. Phineas, grandson of the high priest Aaron takes a spear and shoves it through them and kills them both instantly. A plague is brought upon the whole nation that had been worshipping Baal and God cleanses them. God does not tolerate infidelity.
I am not trying to convict the three people that read this. This is really a slap to my own face. I sin a lot. I mess up a lot and while I know God's grace covers my sin and I can't dwell on my mistakes, I know God doesn't tolerate infidelity. It is hard to be faithful. I don't have the perspective God does. He tries to give it to me and so often I resist it. He gives me avenues of confession and accountability and I don't take them. In other words, get the picture Will. The Israelites wrote down their mess ups so we wouldn't do them. So, here's to trying harder.
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